The lightning strikes. The news is out. Another tuition increase is on the way, and this one is so high that it definitely looks like trouble for many students.

Some U students are unsure of their future at the U after administrators recently proposed a 9.3 percent tuition increase to deal with budget problems.

Such a large hike is regrettable and will seriously hurt many students, but students should keep in mind that it could have been much higher. This hike only accounts for 30 percent of the U’s $20 million shortage.

U President Bernie Machen previously said the increase would be in the double digits. The lower number represents an effort to raise tuition as little as possible. Students should be aware that while their tuition is up too much, it could have been up more. Utah Valley State College, for example, announced plans to increase tuition 28.5 percent.

Whether administrators need to raise tuition so drastically at UVSC and the U is debatable, but at least U administrators are trying to be sensitive to the students.

The proposal includes a plan to create 1,000 scholarships worth $250 each. Administrators would give these awards to those students who are seriously affected by the tuition hike.

While state legislators and the Board of Regents have continuously ignored student requests to link tuition increases to increases in financial aid, the U has taken a proactive and student-friendly position.

Administrators also created a new student fee. Every semester, students will fork over $17.50 to pay for fuel and power costs. While they could have just rolled that into the tuition increase that would affect students each and every year, administrators decided to single it out with the hopes of eliminating it once the state Legislature rightly pays the bill.

For many students, a $284 increase in tuition equates to a car payment or a month of rent. Such a serious increase necessitates the helpful hand administrators have extended with the new scholarships.